Method for Manufacturing a Striking Faceplate of a Golf Club Head

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head is disclosed in the present invention including the steps of preparing a plate material having an original thickness of 2-7 mm, where the plate material comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the first surface has a forming area and a peripheral area surrounding the forming area; pressing and shaping the plate material to form an uneven thickness structure at the forming area, where a maximal thickness is formed between the first surface and the second surface of the plate material, and the maximal thickness is larger than the original thickness of the plate material; and milling the second surface of the plate material obtained from the pressing and shaping step to form a striking face, where the weight of the plate material obtained from the milling step is 30-65% of the weight of the plate material of the preparing step.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a method for manufacturing a component of a golf club head and, more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, forming an uneven thickness structure on an inner side of a striking faceplate of a golf club head may enlarge the sweet area of the golf club head, thus improving the striking performance of the golf club head. A conventional method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head includes selecting a plate material having an appropriate thickness by computer and feeding the plate material having the appropriate thickness to a production line; cutting the plate material by laser to form a workpiece having an outline of the product; a preliminary forging step including forging the workpiece using a die assembly (including a male die and a female die) and a hydraulic machine to form a rough contour of a central part of.the workpiece, where the.die assembly has a protruding part corresponding to the contour of the central part of the workpiece so that the central part of the workpiece is protruded from a back side of the workpiece during the preliminary forging step; a secondary forging step including forging the workpiece after the preliminary forging step using the hydraulic machine and another die assembly to form a precise contour of the central part of the workpiece, where the other die assembly has a protruding part precisely corresponding to the precise contour of the central part of the work piece so that the central part of the workpiece is protruded from the back side of the workpiece; milling a front side of the workpiece using a CNC processing machine to form a desired thickness of the working piece; roughly forming the workpiece using the hydraulic machine to shape the workpiece with a curved shape having a radius of curvature of 100-500 mm; punching the workpiece on the periphery thereof using a punching machine or the hydraulic machine to form the periphery as a “C” or “L” shape; punching the workpiece again using the hydraulic machine to precisely shape the periphery of the workpiece; and cleaning the workpiece using an ultrasonic cleaning machine.

As a summary of the above, the conventional method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head includes the material preparation step, the forging step (including both the preliminary forging step and the secondary forging step), the milling step, and the periphery shaping step. As such, the striking faceplate having an uneven thickness structure is rapidly formed. Such a conventional method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as described in the above can be seen in China application Nos. 102989144 and 100586514.

According to the conventional method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head, the plate material which is originally flat is pressed by the male die and the female die in both the preliminary and secondary forging processes. However, the preliminary forging process and the secondary forging process can only apply a normal force to the plate material, such that one surface of the plate material will form a shape corresponding to the shape of the male die, and another surface of the plate material will form a shape corresponding to the shape of the female die. As shown in the first and second stages of FIG. 1, the thickness of the plate material is not significantly changed after the forging process. Hence, the plate material before the forging process must have a thickness equal to a maximal thickness of the uneven thickness structure to be formed. For example, if the maximal thickness of the uneven thickness structure to be formed is 9 mm, then the thickness of the plate material before the forging process has to be 9 mm. Likewise, if the maximal thickness of the uneven thickness structure to be formed is 5 mm, then the thickness of the plate material before the forging process has to be 5 mm. In addition, during the milling step after the forging process, a large portion of the plate material is milled away, which causes not only the waste of the plate material, but also the abrasion of the milling tools. Thus, the production cost is high and cannot be reduced.

Table 1 below shows the related mechanical properties of the striking faceplate with the uneven thickness structure produced by the conventional method. The weight ratio of the striking faceplate to the plate material is only about 25-55%, which is less and needs to be improved.

TABLE 1 Mechanical Properties of The Striking Faceplate Produced by The Conventional Method Thickness of The Plate 9.1 5.0 4.2 2.3 Material before The Forging Process (mm) Thickness of The Plate 9.1 5.0 4.2 2.3 Material after The Forging Process (mm) Weight of the Plate Material 182 100 84 46 before The Milling Process (g) Weight of The Plate Material 46 40 35 25 after The Milling Process (g) Weight Ratio of The Striking 25 40 42 54 Faceplate to The Plate Material (%)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the objective of this invention to provide a method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head which improves the weight ratio of the striking faceplate to a plate material, thus reducing the waste of the plate material.

It is therefore another objective of this invention to provide a method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head which reduces the abrasion of the milling tool, thus prolonging the service life of the milling tool.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head, including the steps of preparing a plate material having an original thickness of 2-7 mm, where the plate material comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the first surface has a forming area and a peripheral area surrounding the forming area; pressing and shaping the plate material to form an uneven thickness structure at the forming area, where a maximal thickness is formed between the first surface and the second surface of the plate material, and the maximal thickness is larger than the original thickness of the plate material; and milling the second surface of the plate material obtained from the pressing and shaping step to form a striking face, where the weight of the plate material obtained from the milling step is 30-65% of the weight of the plate material of the preparing step.

In a form shown, the maximal thickness is 1.15-1.3 times of the original thickness.

In a form shown, the pressing and shaping step further comprises arching the plate material. The milling step further comprises milling the second face of the plate material to form the striking face as an arcuate shape having a radius of curvature of 160-600 mm. A center of curvature of the striking face is located at a side of the plate material adjacent to the first surface.

In a form shown, the plate material is made of stainless steel, and the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 2 mm and 2.3 mm, respectively.

In a form shown, the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 3 mm and 3.5 mm, respectively.

In a form shown, the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 3.5 mm and 4 mm, respectively.

In a form shown, the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 4 mm and 5 mm, respectively.

In a form shown, the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 5 mm and 6.2 mm, respectively.

In a form shown, the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 6 mm and 7.6 mm, respectively.

In a form shown, the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 7 mm and 9.1 mm, respectively.

As such, the method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head in the present invention is able to form the desired uneven thickness structure by increasing the thickness of a certain part of the plate material after the plate material is pressed and shaped. Thus, the.weight ratio of the striking faceplate to the plate.material is increased, and the waste of the plate material is reduced. Furthermore, the abrasion of the milling tool is reduced, thus prolonging the service life of the milling tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a process according to a conventional method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plate material obtained from a preparation step of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 a is a cross sectional view of the plate material obtained from the preparation step of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 b is the plate material obtained from a shaping step of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 c is the plate material obtained from a milling step of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 d is the plate material obtained from a arching step of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is the plate material obtained from a shaping step according to another implementation of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is the plate material obtained from a shaping step according to a third implementation of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 a is the plate material obtained from a preparation step of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 b is the plate material obtained from a shaping step of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 c is the plate material obtained from a milling step of the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “fourth”, “inner”, “outer”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear” and similar terms are used hereinafter, it should be understood that these terms have reference only to the structure shown in the drawings as it would appear to a person viewing the drawings, and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please refer to FIG. 2, a method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a preparation step S1, a shaping step S2 and a milling step S3. In the shaping step S2, a plate material obtained from the preparation step S1 is pressed to form an uneven thickness structure on a surface of the plate material. Next, in the milling step S3, the plate material obtained from the shaping step S2 is milled to form a striking faceplate having the uneven thickness structure.

Please refer to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 a, the plate material 1 to be processed is prepared in the preparation step S1 of the present invention. Specifically, in this embodiment, a raw material is cut by a cutting machine (such as a laser-cutting machine) into a plurality of plate materials 1 each having an outline similar to that of the product for use in subsequent processing steps. The plate material 1 includes a first surface 11 and a second surface 12 opposite to the first surface 11. An original thickness T1 is formed between the first surface 11 and the second surface 12. In addition, the plate material 1 is preferably made of a metal material that can be easily deformed or provides an excellent shock absorbing function. For example, the plate material 1 may be made of carbon steel, stainless steel (e.g. 17-4PH stainless steel), alloy steel, Ni-alloy, cast iron, super alloy steel, Fe—Mn—Al-alloy, Ti-alloy, Cu-alloy, Al-alloy, Mg-alloy, or any combination thereof. However, the stainless steel or Ti-alloy is mostly preferred. The first surface 11 of the plate material 1 includes a forming area “A” where the uneven thickness structure is to be formed, and a peripheral area “B” surrounding the forming area “A.”

The plate material 1 is adapted to form the striking faceplate of a golf club head. Generally, a maximal thickness of the striking faceplate with the uneven thickness structure is of 2-9 mm. Since the method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head can increase the thickness of the plate material 1 by the shaping step S2 to form the uneven thickness structure having a thickness larger than that of the plate material 1 before processing, the plate material 1 with a smaller thickness is also suitable for the preparation step S1. As an example, the thickness of the plate material 1 may be of 2-7 mm, and the plate material 1 preferably has an even thickness.

Please refer to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 b, the shaping step S2 in the present invention includes pressing. and shaping the plate material 1 obtained from the preparation step S1. The plate material deforms to form the uneven thickness structure 13 at the forming area “A.” A maximal thickness T2 larger than the original thickness T1 is consequently formed between the first surface 11 and the second surface 12 of the plate material. Specifically, the plate material 1 obtained from the preparation step may be placed in a die assembly (not shown), then may undergo at least one time of the punching or forging process. As an example of the forging process, the plate material 1 is remained inside the die assembly, thus preventing the plate material 1 from being squeezed out of the die assembly during the pressing and shaping process. As such, it can be ensured that the plate material 1 deforms to form the uneven thickness structure 13 at the forming area “A.” The uneven thickness structure 13 may be of different shapes according to the required striking performances. The uneven structure 13 may be as shown in the FIG. 2 b. Besides, a recess may be formed at the center of the uneven thickness structure 13, or a platform may be formed on the thickest part of the uneven thickness structure 13 as shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, the uneven thickness structure may be in the form of stairs as shown in FIG. 6.

Table 2 below shows the related mechanical properties of the plate material 1 before and after the pressing and shaping process in the present invention. As it can be seen in Table 2, the method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head in the present invention does increase the thickness of a certain part of the plate material 1, and the increment in thickness is proportional to the original thickness T1 of the plate material 1 before shaping. In other words, the larger the original thickness of the plate material 1 the easier the plate material 1 is shaped. Accordingly, the increment in thickness of the plate material 1 is also higher.

TABLE 2 Mechanical Properties of the Plate Material 1 before and after the Pressing and Shaping Process Type of the Plate Material Stainless Steel Ti-alloy Ti-alloy Ti-alloy Ti-alloy Ti-alloy Ti-alloy Thickness of 2.0 3.0 3.5 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 The Plate Material before The Pressing and Shaping Process (mm) Thickness of 2.3 3.5 4.0 5.0 6.2 7.6 9.1 The Plate Material after The Pressing and Shaping Process (mm) Increment in 15.0 16.7 14.3 25.0 24.0 26.7 30.0 Thickness of The Plate Material (%)

To further improve the pressing and shaping step, the shaping step S2 may include a preliminary shaping step S21 followed by a secondary shaping step S22. The preliminary shaping step S21 includes heating the plate material 1 and a die assembly having a simple curved face, and placing the plate material 1 into the die assembly for pressing the plate material 1 using the die assembly. Therefore, the first surface 11 of the plate material 1 is initially formed as a contour similar to that of the uneven thickness structure. Accordingly, the heating temperature of the plate material 1 and the die assembly are determined based on the material property of the plate material 1, which can be appreciated by a person having ordinary skill in the art. Preferably, the heating temperature is not higher than a crystallization temperature of the plate material 1.

Furthermore, before the heating and shaping processes, an anti-oxidation layer may be optionally formed on a surface of the plate material 1 according to the property of the plate material, which reduces the oxidation of the plate material 1 during the heating and shaping processes. For example, if the plate material 1 is made of a metal that is easily oxidized, the anti-oxidation layer formed on the surface of the plate material 1 is preferred. On the other hand, if the plate material 1 is made of a metal that is not oxidized easily, then the anti-oxidation layer is not necessary. In this embodiment, the anti-oxidation layer may be formed by spraying an anti-oxidation agent on the surface of the plate material, which then dries to form the anti-oxidation layer. Likewise, in the case where the plate material 1 is made of the metal that is oxidized easily, before the secondary shaping step S22 it is preferred to arrange another anti-oxidation layer on the plate material 1 obtained from the preliminary shaping step S21. In this arrangement, the deformed part of the plate material is also protected from oxidation. On the other hand, if the plate material 1 is made of the metal that is not oxidized easily, the other anti-oxidization layer is not needed.

Since the temperature of the plate material 1 obtained from the preliminary shaping step S21 may decrease (even to the room temperature) while moving through the production line, the plate material 1 and another die assembly having a precise curved face must be heated before the secondary shaping step S22. The heating temperature also should not be higher than the crystallization temperature of the plate material 1. The plate material 1 is then placed in the other die assembly and pressed by the other die assembly to form the first surface 11 of the plate material 1 of the desired uneven thickness structure 13.

Please refer to FIGS. 2, 4 b and 4 c, the milling step includes milling the second surface 12 (along the phantom line shown in FIG. 4 b) of the plate material 1 obtained from the shaping step S2 by a processing machine to form a striking face 14. In this embodiment, the plate material 1 obtained from the secondary shaping step S22 is milled after the temperature of the plate material is reduced to an appropriate temperature (such as room temperature) by an appropriate milling tool controlled by a computer, thus the second surface 12 of the plate material 1 is smoothly milled to form the striking face 14.

Table 3 below shows the related mechanical properties of the striking faceplate with the uneven thickness structure manufactured by the method of the present invention. The weight of the plate material 1 after the milling step S3 is 30-65% of that of the plate material 1 obtained from the preparation step S1. The weight ratio of the striking faceplate to the plate material of the present invention is significantly improved when comparing with that of the conventional method shown in Table 1, which is only 25-55%.

TABLE 3 Mechanical Properties of the Striking Faceplate with the Uneven Thickness Structure Thickness of The Plate 7.0 4.0 3.5 2.0 Material before The Shaping and Pressing Process (mm) Thickness of The Plate 9.1 5.0 4.2 2.3 Material before The Shaping and Pressing Process (mm) Weight of The Plate Material 140 80 70 40 before The Milling Process (g) Weight of The Plate Material 46 40 35 25 after The Milling Process (g) Weight Ratio of The Striking 32.9 50.0 50.0 62.5 Faceplate to The Plate Material (%)

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 4 d, the plate material 1 after the milling step S3 may further undergo a post processing step S4. The plate material 1 is modified to form the product of the striking faceplate of the golf club head with high quality. For example, when the striking face of the plate material 1 is arcuate, the plate material 1 obtained from the milling step S3 and a die assembly having an arcuate face are heated. Next, the plate material 1 is placed in the die assembly, and then pressed and arched by the die. Thus, the striking face 14 is formed of an arcuate shape having a radius of curvature of 160-600 mm and a center of curvature located at a side of the plate material 1 adjacent to the first surface 11. Since a portion of the second surface 12 is milled away from the plate material 1 during the milling step, the anti-oxidation layer is also removed. Hence, in the case where the plate material 1 made of the metal that is not oxidized easily, the anti-oxidation agent is preferably sprayed on the surface of the plate material 1 again before the plate material 1 is pressed and arched by the die assembly. As such, the surface of the plate material 1 is completely covered by the anti-oxidation layer, thus protecting the plate material 1 from oxidation.

Moreover, the surface of the plate material 1 may be cleaned by sand blasting after the milling step S3 (or after arching the plate material to form the striking face 14 of the arcuate shape). The sand blasting may be carried out with particles, such as silicon sand, aluminum oxide, iron sand, aluminum beads or iron beads, to clean the impurities and/or the oxides generated on the surface of the plate material 1. If desired, the type number, letters, or trademarks can be formed on the surface (such as the striking face 14) of the plate material 1 by laser sculpture or the like, enhancing identification of the product.

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 7 a-7 c, a second embodiment of the method for manufacturing the faceplate of the golf club head according to the present invention is approximately the same to the first embodiment described above, but characterized in that the step of arching the plate material 1 is combined to the shaping step S2. As such, the plate material 1 is arched while forming the uneven thickness structure 13, thus simplifying the processes.

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 7 a, the second embodiment includes preparing a plate material 1 to be processed in the preparation step S1, which is the same as the first embodiment. With reference to FIGS. 2 and 7 b, the shaping step S2 in this embodiment includes shaping the plate material 1 by pressing to arch the plate material 1 and also make the plate material 1 deform to form the uneven thickness structure at the forming area “A” of the first surface 11. Thus, the plate material having the desired arcuate shape is obtained, and the uneven thickness structure 13 is formed on the surface 11 of the plate material. The arcuate shape of the plate material 1 may be formed in the preliminary shaping step S21, hence the secondary shaping step only modifies the uneven thickness structure 13. That is, in the preliminary shaping step S21, the plate material 1 is heated with a die assembly having the arcuate face conforming to the arcuate shape and a simple curved face similar to the uneven thickness structure 13, then the plate material 1 is placed in the die assembly and pressed by the die assembly to form the plate material 1 of the arcuate shape having the uneven thickness structure 13. Next, in the secondary shaping step S22, the plate material 1 is pressed by another die assembly having a precise curved face, thus forming the desired uneven thickness structure 13. Otherwise, the arcuate shape and the uneven thickness structure 13 formed during the preliminary shaping step S21 may both be modified in the secondary shaping step S22 to form the desired arcuate shape and uneven thickness structure 13.

Please refer to FIGS. 2, 7 b and 7 c. The milling step S3 in this embodiment includes milling the second surface 12 (along the phantom line shown in FIG. 7 b) of the plate material 1 by a processing machine to form the arcuate striking face 14. Hence, the plate material 1 needs only undergoing the post-processing step S4 including cleaning and sculpturing the plate material 1 to obtain the striking faceplate of the golf club head with high quality. Consequently, the method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head of the present invention can arch the plate material 1 while forming the uneven thickness structure 13, thus simplifying the processes and improving the production efficiency.

As a conclusion, the method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head in the present invention can increase the thickness of a certain part of the plate material to form the uneven thickness structure having the maximal thickness larger than the original thickness. As such, the portion of the plate material that has been milled away after shaping is reduced, and the weight ratio of the striking faceplate to the plate material is raised. The plate material with a smaller thickness is also suitable for the preparation step, thus reducing the waste of material and the production cost.

The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head reduces the portion of the plate material that has been milled away from the plate material after shaping, which not only improves the production efficiency but also reduces the abrasion of the milling tool. Thus, the service life of the milling tool is prolonged.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferable embodiments, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing a striking faceplate of a golf club head, comprising the steps of: preparing a plate material having an original thickness of 2-7 mm, wherein the plate material comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and wherein the first surface has a forming area and a peripheral area surrounding the forming area; pressing and shaping the plate material to form an uneven thickness structure at the forming area, wherein a maximal thickness is formed between the first surface and the second surface of the plate material, and wherein the maximal thickness is larger than the original thickness of the plate material; and milling the second surface of the plate material obtained from the pressing and shaping step to form a striking face, wherein the weight of the plate material obtained from the milling step is 30-65% of the weight of the plate material of the preparing step.
 2. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the maximal thickness is 1.15-1.3 times of the original thickness.
 3. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressing and shaping step further comprises arching the plate material, wherein the milling step further comprises milling the second face of the plate material to form the striking face as an arcuate shape having a radius of curvature of 160-600 mm, and wherein a center of curvature of the striking face is located at a side of the plate material adjacent to the first surface.
 4. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate material is made of stainless steel, and wherein the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 2 mm and 2.3 mm, respectively.
 5. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and wherein the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 3 mm and 3.5 mm, respectively.
 6. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and wherein the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 3.5 mm and 4 mm, respectively.
 7. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and wherein the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 4 mm and 5 mm, respectively.
 8. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and wherein the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 5 mm and 6.2 mm, respectively.
 9. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and wherein the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 6 mm and 7.6 mm, respectively.
 10. The method for manufacturing the striking faceplate of the golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate material is made of Ti-alloy, and wherein the original thickness and the maximal thickness are 7 mm and 9.1 mm, respectively. 